Donald Duane “Nic” Nicholson

Donald Duane Nicholson (a.k.a. “Nic” or “Nick”) of Columbia, MO, passed away on November 15, 2025, at the age of 87 in Columbia, MO, where he lived most of his life. He was born in 1938 in Hannibal, MO, to Stanley B. Nicholson and Harriet “Hattie” Gilmore (Wells) Nicholson (both formerly of Hannibal).

He is survived by his wife of fifty-four years, Reta L. (Jones/Robinson) Nicholson, and his four children: Sonya Kae Nicholson (David Bird Adams), Kurtis Allen Nicholson, James Robert Robinson (partner Natalie Brown), and Karen Robinson Rivera. Also surviving are five grandchildren: Isaac N. Adams (Brooke Adams), Laura S. Talbert (Alonzo Talbert), Sarah C. Larrabee (Adam Larrabee), Austin J. Robinson, and Lauren E. Robinson. In addition, he leaves behind seven great-grandchildren: Jonathan D. Talbert (partner Elizabeth Rodriguez), Erin E. Talbert, Hattie E. Robinson, Sydney A. Talbert, Andrew M. Talbert, Aiden W. Baugh, and Riley E. Baugh. Also surviving is his first wife and mother of his children (Sonya and Kurtis), Marcia L. (Mittelberg/Nicholson) DeVier. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Nic grew up in Hannibal, MO and graduated from Hannibal High School. He attended the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy where he studied geology and land survey, along with classes at the University of MO-Columbia.

After serving twelve years in the Army National Guard, he worked for the Missouri Department of Transportation, then became a registered land surveyor while working in Columbia for various private firms, and held a license in multiple states. He then became the very first City Surveyor for the City of Columbia, where he worked for twenty-five years until his retirement in 2008.

Nic was deeply involved in caving and various organizations his whole life, such as Chouteau Grotto Club, Mid-America Heavy Trucking Co., and the Mississippi Valley Ozark Region (MVOR), which is part of the National Speleological Society (NSS). His early love of caves was partially shaped by working as a tour guide at the Mark Twain Cave at the age of sixteen, later surveying numerous caves in Missouri, as well as working a survey crew for the Harry S. Truman Lake project. In 1967, because of his extensive knowledge of the cave system in the Hannibal area, he volunteered for two weeks to help with the huge search operation for three boys who went missing in Murphy Cave.

Nic’s wide-ranging interests in world and American military history, geography, maps, geology, and caving enriched the lives of those around him, creating countless adventures and memories. He had a lifelong passion for travel, both local and abroad, riding his bicycle and motorcycle, as well as spontaneous road trips, camping, and four-wheel-driving with family and friends. This travel also incorporated exploration into his Scottish roots (the Nicholson Clan), where he enjoyed trips to Scotland and several Burns Night Suppers in Columbia.

Along with his family, numerous close friends who became “family” will dearly miss him.

In lieu of flowers, we request your presence for a reunion of family and friends as we celebrate Nic’s life from 12 PM to 3 PM on Sunday, March 8, 2026, at the Reichmann Indoor Pavilion, 2300 E. Walnut St., Stephens Lake Park, Columbia, MO. Please contact Karen at 816.679.6246 with any questions.

“The best portion of a good man’s life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love.”
— William Wordsworth, poet (1770–1850)

We love and miss you, Papa Nic—keep on truckin’!